How Much Soluble Fiber Is in Peanuts?

by Michelle Kerns

Peanuts contain as much soluble fiber per serving as grapes.

Eating as little as 1 ounce of nuts such as peanuts several times a week may significantly decrease your risk of heart disease, reports the Harvard School of Public Health. The dietary fiber content could be partially responsible for peanuts' benefits. A serving of 10 roasted peanuts contains 2 percent of the recommended daily allowance of fiber for an adult and supplies both soluble and insoluble fiber. High soluble fiber intake from foods like peanuts may lower your risk of several medical conditions, though diet and fitness expert Dr. Melina Jampolis warns you should limit yourself to only a 1/4-cup serving of nuts daily since they are high in calories.

Soluble Fiber Total

According to Harvard University Health Services, 10 large roasted peanuts contain 0.2 grams of soluble fiber. This amount of soluble fiber is equivalent to the amount supplied by a 1/2-cup serving of canned whole-kernel corn, 1 cup of sliced cucumber, 15 small grapes, 1 tablespoon of sunflower seeds or 2 tablespoons of raisins. Healthy adults should aim to get approximately 20 to 30 percent of their total daily dietary fiber intake from soluble fiber. For men, this means that a serving of peanuts would supply about 2 percent of their soluble fiber requirement. Each serving of peanuts would fulfill approximately 3.2 percent of a woman's daily soluble fiber needs.

Soluble Fiber Benefits

People with diets rich in soluble fiber may be less likely to develop diabetes or high blood cholesterol. This may be due to the way soluble fiber acts in the digestive system. Made up of the mucilage compounds, gums and pectins found on the inside of plant cells, soluble fiber swells with water in the digestive tract and forms a thick, viscous mass. This mass slows how quickly food is broken down and absorbed and may help regulate the amount of cholesterol and glucose that is released into the bloodstream.

Healthy Peanut Choices

Although peanuts can be a good addition to a healthy, high-fiber diet, it's important to choose peanuts that don't contain excessive amounts of salt. A 100-gram serving of salted peanuts may contain as much as 680 milligrams of sodium, or 45 percent of an adult's RDA of sodium. Consuming too much sodium can increase your risk of high blood pressure, kidney stones, osteoporosis and gastric cancer. Keep your sodium intake low by choosing low- or no-salt varieties of peanuts, or roast them in their shells yourself with no added salt.

Considerations

If you want to increase your intake of soluble fiber with foods like peanuts, add them into your diet slowly, over a period of two to three weeks. Suddenly increasing how much fiber you eat can cause bloating, stomach pain, flatulence and diarrhea. You'll also need to drink at least 6 to 8 glasses of water each day. Talk to your doctor if your digestive problems continue when you consume fiber.

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About the Author

Michelle Kerns writes for a variety of print and online publications and specializes in literature and science topics. She has served as a book columnist since 2008 and is a member of the National Book Critics Circle. Kerns studied English literature and neurology at UC Davis.

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